


Best

by Marie_Ciel



Category: L'Arc~en~Ciel
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-11
Updated: 2012-02-11
Packaged: 2017-10-30 23:41:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/337493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marie_Ciel/pseuds/Marie_Ciel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reuniting after not having seen each other much during L'Arc's hiatus, Ken muses on all of the different aspects of his longtime friend's personality that he admires and likes. They decide that L'Arc must get back together after realizing how lonely it has been, and in doing so, Ken also realizes just how important Tetsuya is to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Best

Ken closed his eyes and blew a heavy sigh, thereby releasing a cloud of smoke from his lips, making his anticipation visible. He threw a weary glance over his shoulder to the faded grey concrete scenery behind him, the monotony of the city. Nothing changed- nothing ever did. He knew that if he saw what he was waiting for, it would be instantly recognizable- for the one he waited for was in no way dull like the monochrome hues of the cityscape that person loved so dearly.

Dreary seconds rolled by, each seeming to painstakingly hesitate before moving on. Ken felt his childish impatience rising, making every muscle eager to get up and move. Of course, he had only arrived perhaps five minutes ahead of the scheduled meeting time, yet still... each moment was a small eternity. He hauled himself to his feet and looked around again.

A familiar figure melted out of the city scenery, and the very sight of him lit a smile on Ken's face. As the one he had been waiting for came closer, that small expression of joy grew into a huge grin.

"Hey, Tet-chan. Been waiting for ya." The guitarist greeted his childhood friend warmly, his eagerness for their meeting showing through in his words.

A smile broke across Tetsuya's face as well. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Of course, it's great to see you, Ken-chan." His low, quiet spoken voice still showed great amounts of empathy.

That day, Tetsuya was dressed rather plainly in faded jeans and a pink t-shirt, partially obscured by his dark, heavy jacket. His hair was left naturally straight, untouched, and a pair of heavily-tinted sunglasses perched on his nose.

Ken liked seeing Tetsuya in this way- casual, natural, simple. His hair was so light, left to be tossed by the playful fingers of the wind. Though sunglasses too often obscured his plainly beautiful eyes, no single smile, no matter how small, lost any of its glow.

Yet- he had a certain fondness for the leader Tetsuya, the bassist of L'Arc, the one that he saw backstage. That man was constantly aglow with sheer unadulterated joy, tossing those incredibly infectious smiles to anyone and everyone he saw. The brightly-colored outfits and hair extensions only reflected those vibrant emotions, that pure exultation. He loved seeing his dear friend so happy... in that way, he was conflicted. Tetsuya was perfect just the way he was, without any help from extravagance or accessories- yet, he wished the bassist could always feel that sort of deep contentedness, rather than continually being plagued by restless nights and bags under his eyes.

The two of them sat down on the park bench, Ken with another heavy sigh, immediately falling into a slouch. Tetsuya sat more straight up, adjusting his jacket as to feel more comfortable.

"It really has been too long-"

"It has, hasn't it?" Tetsuya's tone was light, musing.

"Yeah..." Ken smiled quietly. "I've missed seeing you so often."

"You mean, when we all practically lived with each other in the studio, on the tour bus? I know, I've missed it too." This was punctuated by a soft chuckle.

"I don't know how long it's been since we just... talked. You know?"

"I know, Ken-chan."

That voice, so calm and knowing. Of course he knew. Ken and Tetsuya had known each other forever.

"I wasn't sure what to expect- you know, if after being apart for a while you would suddenly change. Like, I would try to talk to you and you would just be all sulky or something..." Though the guitarist's tone was light and flippant, it was belied by an undercurrent of apprehension. He was dictating some of his deeper fears that had troubled him those long weeks, all with a joking smile.

Tetsuya grinned and gently removed his sunglasses, slipping them into his pocket. His eyes were still bright, yet soft- they never changed in all of the years Ken had known him. They remained childlike in a way, with a gleam of curiosity surrounded by deep colors with the capacity for intelligence as well as deep empathy.

"You were like that when you were a kid. Thought you might go through a relapse or something." A laugh. "You were a weird kid!"

"I was... Ah, I was a really depressing kid." This statement drew out a good-natured chuckle from the bassist. "I know it. I was pretty lucky to have you, Ken-chan, as a friend then. I might have ended up too normal or something like that."

The memory of that child he played with in their early years together was still a clear memory in Ken's mind. Those same bright eyes, that wide, shining grin, that hair- darker then- that always looked just a little messy. Of course, he loved that Tetsuya too. That was his best friend, and still remained that way now. He hadn't changed terribly much- there was still that quiet, stubborn boy alive inside of Tetsuya.

As Ken was caught up in his own memories, Tetsuya had turned to look out across the greenery of the park. Of course, Ken was not fooled- visible above the green-capped tree line at the edge of the lot were the peaks of several large buildings- skyscrapers. It was obvious to him exactly where Tetsuya's interests lay. The sight goaded a smirk to appear on his face. No, things really didn't change that much over time...

That thoughtful, pensive Tetsuya- another facet to the bassist's personality. There was a reason he had been given the title and role of leader, not only because he had been the one to originally start the band. For years, Tetsuya had shown the innate capacity to make critical decisions thoughtfully and carefully, even under pressure; he would never jump into anything headfirst without prior thought and calculation having gone into it. He had a keen business sense as well as a vibrant artistic talent, a unique combination that few were lucky enough to possess.

Perhaps even above the others, that was the side that Ken admired most. Tetsuya would always be there, always stable and cool and collected. It was a great comfort to have him as a friend. If any problem should arise, a decision he felt he couldn't make himself, Ken knew he could ask his childhood friend for advice. Tetsuya was dependable, supportive, logical and most of all- he was always _there_.

Really, he realized- he really didn't know what he would do without Tetsuya. _Probably die._ He thought wryly with a tiny shrug.

“Ken-chan.”

That familiar voice snapped him out of his reverie, and Ken blinked his dark eyes as the world came back into focus. “Mm?”

“I really think... we need to get L'Arc back together. Simply being here has reminded me of how long this hiatus has been.”

Ken nodded in silent agreement. Of course, all four of them were busy with their solo projects during the “break”, but still there was simply something _different_ about that. It was different, having so little L'Arc in their lives. Speaking to Tetsuya like this once again jarred him to the realization that he had really missed spending so much time with his dear friend.

“It's felt lonely, even if the work never stops.” Tetsuya laughed softly, with a slightly bitter edge. “A break is good once in a while, but I miss... I miss it. I miss practicing the music together, writing it together. I miss being with you guys-- I've missed you.”

As his words faded into silence, his gaze broke away from Ken, focusing down on his hands instead. While his eyes had been harder a moment before, they were now mellow again.

“Well... why are we sitting here?” Ken's sudden and upbeat voice now brought the leader to attention. “Are we gonna do something or lay around getting old?”

Slowly, slowly, Tetsuya's placid expression melted into a grin. Ah, he was always the same...

“Whaddaya say we get some food?”

“Food would be great.” Tetsuya nodded, rising to his feet.

“Sushi? Yakiniku?” Ken offered, seeing how his friend's eyes lit up at the options.

“Sushi please! And Ken-chan... I'm beginning to think you may know me too well.”

Ken was already on his feet and surveying the nearby restaurants, scouting out a prospective lunch destination. As Tetsuya's words reached him, he turned around just in time to see his friend chuckle quietly before slipping his sunglasses on again.

And in the end, he knew that it was the Tetsuya of those quiet, warm, caring smiles that he liked best of all.


End file.
